Method for producing a reclosable spout element and a correspondingly produced spout element

ABSTRACT

Represented and described are a method for the manufacture of a reclosable pouring element and a pouring element manufactured in accordance therewith, whereby the pouring element features a basic body ( 1 ) and a closure cover ( 2 ), and whereby the closure cover ( 2 ) is connected in jointed fashion to the basic body by means of two bearing pivots ( 4 ). In order to improve this method in its entirety, and to create a reliably tight connection between the basic body ( 1 ) and the closure cover ( 2 ) with the pouring element manufactured in this manner, the following steps are proposed:  
     Injection-moulding of the closure cover ( 2 ) from a first plastic;  
     rotation of the mould about a predetermined angle and opening of at least a part of the mould of the closure cover ( 2 );  
     closure of a second mould for the basic body ( 1 ), the cavity of which is also formed at least in part from the closure cover ( 2 );  
     injection-moulding of the basic body ( 1 ) from a second plastic; and  
     opening of the mould and removal of the finished pouring element.

[0001] The invention relates to a method for the manufacture of atwo-part reclosable pouring element for a fluid packing, in particular aflat gable composite packing, whereby the pouring element features abasic body and a closure cover, and whereby the closure cover is pivotedby means of two bearing pivots in jointed fashion on the basic body, aswell as a pouring element manufactured thereby.

[0002] Reclosable pouring elements for parallelepipedic flat gablecomposite packings are known in a variety of embodiments. They are usedpredominantly in connection with fluid packings, with refrigerated,refrigerated-sterile, hot, and aseptic fillings.

[0003] It has already been proposed in connection with the flat gablepackings of the aforesaid type that a pouring element be arranged in thepacking gable, which is fitted with a basic body and a correspondingclosure cover, and with which the packing is simultaneously openedbefore its first use (DE 198 05 030 A1). In this situation, apredetermined weakening line is provided in the area of the outer PElayer and cardboard layer in order to weaken the gable material, suchthat, in order to open the packing, a closure cover is pivoted into thepacking material, said closure cover being connected by way of a jointto the basic body, and corresponds to the shape of the predeterminedweakening line. In order to reclose the packing, the closure cover,designed as a lever, is pivoted back again into its initial position.

[0004] Disadvantageous with this known reclosable pouring element is theelaborate manufacture: Basic body and closure cover are manufacturedindividually by the injection moulding process, and the closure cover isclamped from below into the basic body by means of its lateral bearingpivots. This is time-consuming and costly, and the method of manufactureimposes the condition that the cut-outs for accommodating the bearingpivots may be deformed by the passing movement of the pivots when theclosure cover is pushed into the basic body, with the result that thefunctional performance is impaired, in particular in respect of sealingtightness when the package, once broken open, is reclosed.

[0005] The present invention is therefore based on the objective ofimproving the known method described heretofore for the manufacture of areclosable pouring element in its entirety, and of obtaining inparticular a reliably tight seal between the basic body and the closurecover.

[0006] This objective is achieved by means of a method in accordancewith the preamble to claim 1 by the following steps:

[0007] Injection moulding of the closure cover from a first plastic;

[0008] rotation of the mould about a predetermined angle and the openingof at least one part of the mould body of the closure cover;

[0009] closure of a second mould for the basic body, the cavity of whichis also formed at least in part by the closure cover;

[0010] injection moulding of the basic body from a second plastic; and

[0011] opening of the second mould body and removal of the finishedpouring element.

[0012] The pouring element manufactured according to the inventionfeatures, incurred as a condition of manufacture, extremely good sealingtightness. This according ensures that the packing, even once alreadyopened, can be shaken with the pouring element closed again in order tomix the product contained, without any of the product emerging in theprocess. In a further embodiment of the invention, the closure cover mayfeature two lateral cavities, in which, during the injection moulding ofthe basic body, the bearing pivots are formed in-situ; or, as analternative, it is possible for the closure cover to feature two lateralbearing pivots, which, during the injection moulding of the basic body,are surrounded by them.

[0013] As suitable plastics, polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP)may, for example, be used.

[0014] According to a further teaching of the invention, the bearingpivots extend in conical fashion towards their free ends. It is alsoconceivable, however, that the bearing pivots feature corresponding backcuts, in order to allow for a positive-fit (jointed) connection of bothconstruction elements.

[0015] A further embodiment of the invention makes provision for theclosure cover to feature an aperture, by means of which, during theinjection moulding process, a positive-fit connection pertains, which ispermanently altered by the closure cover upon its first being opened. Inthis way, an original design of aperture is created, which makes itpossible for the user to see immediately, with a flat gable packingprovided with such a reclosable pouring element, whether this hasalready been opened once or not. This is to be welcomed on grounds ofhygiene, as well as from safety considerations, given that poisonedfoodstuffs have regrettably been encountered more frequently in recentyears.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, basic body andclosure cover are capable of being engaged in the closed position bymeans of an engagement element designed in the form of a hook or thelike, in order to avoid unintentional opening. A perceptible and, forpreference, audible engagement provides the user with increased“security” during use.

[0017] The engagement element described heretofore may also form theoriginal design of closure element. For this, at the first opening onlya part of the original, design of closure element is destroyed, and theremaining non-positive fit connection provides for the desiredengagement of the parts.

[0018] In a further embodiment of the invention the basic body featuresat least one web element engaging over the area of its pouring aperture.Such a web element serves not only to stiffen the pouring element, butis also used as a stop, in order to limit the pivot movement of theclosure cover at the opening of the package to an angle of about 90°. Inthis way it will also be clear to a user who has never before used sucha pouring element, from the resistance encountered upon reaching thestop, that the opening process has been completed.

[0019] The invention is described in greater detail hereinafter on thebasis of drawings of only one preferred embodiment. The drawings show:

[0020]FIG. 1 A reclosable pouring element manufactured according to theinvention in a perspective view;

[0021]FIG. 2 the pouring element from FIG. 1, in the opened position ina longitudinal section;

[0022]FIG. 3 the pouring element from FIG. 1 in a side view;

[0023]FIG. 4 a basic body of the pouring element according to theinvention, in a plan view;

[0024]FIG. 5 the pouring element from FIG. 1 in a frontal view;

[0025]FIG. 6 the pouring element from FIG. 1 in section along the lineVI-VI;

[0026]FIG. 7 a first embodiment of a closure element of original design,applied onto the basic body, without closure cover;

[0027]FIGS. 8 and 9 the closure device of original design from FIG. 7 incross-section through the basic body and closure cover, before and afterthe actuation of the closure cover; and

[0028]FIG. 10 a further embodiment of a closure element of originaldesign.

[0029] In FIG. 1 the pouring element according to the invention isrepresented in perspective fashion in a plan view. The pouring elementfeatures a basic body 1, to be applied to the flat gable packing, notshown, and a closure cover 2 for penetrating the packing wall in apredetermined weakened area of the packing, and subsequent reclosure ofthe pouring element.

[0030] As can be seen from FIG. 2 in particular, the closure cover 2 isjointed so as to be capable of pivoting in the basic body 1 of thepouring element about an axis designated as line VI-VI, in order to freea pouring aperture 3. The mounting of the closure cover 2 in the basicbody 1 of the pouring element according to the invention ischaracterised in that the lateral pivots 4 engage from the start of themanufacture of the basic body 1 in corresponding cut-outs in the closurecover 2, and so form a pivot joint. The pivot movement can be clearlyseen from FIG. 2, in which the pouring element manufactured according tothe invention with opened closure cover 2 is represented in alongitudinal section.

[0031] In addition, a closure element 5 of original design can be seenin FIG. 1, which is described in greater detail hereinafter. The basicbody 1 features a flange 6, running around the pouring aperture 3, saidflange being connected to the surface of the flat gable compositepacking (not shown) in the area of the predetermined weakened zone. Anengagement element 7 (in FIG. 3) provides for the perceptible (andpossibly audible) engagement of the closure cover 2 with the basic body1 after reclosure. Above the pouring aperture 3 a web element 8 can beidentified, linking both sides of the basic body 1, which serves as astop for the closure cover 2 in the opened position, as can clearly beseen from FIG. 2. At the same time, the web 8 prevents a finger used toassist in the opening process from coming in contact with the productthrough the pouring aperture 3.

[0032] In the preferred embodiment shown, the closure element 5 oforiginal design is arranged on the end of the basic body 1 opposite thepouring aperture 3. In this area, the closure cover 2 features anaperture 9, in which, during injection moulding, a positive-fitconnection pertains, which is permanently deformed by the closure cover2 when the packing is opened for the first time.

[0033] In FIG. 3 the pouring element manufactured according to theinvention is represented in a side view. Here can be seen a possibleembodiment of the engagement element 7 and of the closure element 5 oforiginal design, as already referred to heretofore.

[0034]FIG. 4 shows the basic body 1 of the pouring element manufacturedaccording to the invention in a plan view. Here the two bearing pivots 4can be clearly identified, which are injected into correspondingcavities of the closure cover, not shown for the sake of betterunderstanding.

[0035]FIGS. 5 and 6 show the pouring element manufactured according tothe invention in a frontal view and in cross-section along the lineVI-VI from FIG. 1. Here it is again clear that, due to the specialmanufacturing method, a tight positive-fit closure can be achievedbetween the basic body 1 and the opening element 2. Due to the fact thatthe basic body 1 still shrinks by a minimal amount duringsolidification, an optimum sealing tightness us achieved between the twoparts.

[0036]FIG. 7 now shows an embodiment of a closure device 5 of originaldesign in a perspective view, without the basic body. Its function canbe derived from FIGS. 8 and 9; in this situation, springs 10, runningout of one other in conical fashion, three in number in the embodimentshown and preferred, into the likewise conical shaped aperture 9 of theclosure cover 2, so that, at the first reclosure, the springs 10 arebent apart from one another, leading to a permanent deformation.

[0037] Finally, FIG. 10 shows an alternative embodiment of a closuredevice of original design, with which, in the interior of the springs 10already referred to, a mushroom-shaped core 11 is provided, whichpresents a positive-fit connection with the correspondingly-designedperipheral areas of the aperture 9, in order, in addition to thefunction of the closure element 5′ of original design, also to fulfilthe function of an engagement element 7′.

1. A method for the manufacture of a two-part reclosable pouring elementfor a flat gable packing, in particular a flat cable composite packing,whereby the pouring element features a basic body (1) and a closurecover (2), and whereby the closure cover (2) is attached in jointedfashion to the basic body by means of two bearing pivots (4),characterised by the following steps: Injection-moulding of the closurecover (2) from a first plastic; rotation of the mould about apredetermined angle and the opening of at least a part of the mould ofthe closure cover (2); closure of a second mould for the basic body (1),of which the cavity is also formed at least in part from the closurecover (2); injection-moulding of the basic body (1) from a secondplastic; and opening of the second mould and removal of the finishedpouring element.
 2. The method according to claim 1, characterised inthat the closure cover (2) features two lateral cavities and, during theinjection-moulding of the basic body (1), the bearing pivots (4) areformed in-situ in the cavities provided in the closure cover (2).
 3. Themethod according to claim 1, characterised in that the closure cover (2)features two lateral bearing pivots (4), which, during theinjection-moulding of the basic body (1), are surrounded by the basicbody.
 4. The method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised inthat the bearing pivots (4) extend in conical fashion towards their freeend.
 5. The method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised inthat the closure cover (2) features an aperture (9) by means of which,during the injection moulding, a positive-fit connection is provided,which is permanently altered by the closure cover (2) the first time thepackage is opened.
 6. A reclosable pouring element, featuring a basicbody (1) and a closure cover (2), whereby the closure cover is connectedin jointed fashion to the basic body by means of two bearing pivots,characterised in that the two-part pouring element is manufactured inone single process and in two immediately sequential steps, inaccordance with the method of one of claims 1 to
 5. 7. The pouringelement according to claim 6, characterised in that the pouring elementfeatures an engagement element (7) for engaging the basic body (1) andthe closure cover (2).
 8. The pouring element according to claim 6 or 7,characterised in that the pouring element features a closure element (5)of original design.
 9. The pouring element according to claim 8,characterised in that the closure element (5′) of original design isformed simultaneously as an engagement element (7′).
 10. The pouringelement according to claim 6, characterised in that the basic body (1)features at least one web (8), engaging over the area of its pouringaperture (3).